Ruben Amorim said watching a documentary about Manchester United’s 1999 Champions League win provided the inspiration for their miraculous Europa League fightback against Lyon.
United have history when it comes to European comebacks, memorably beating Bayern Munich 2-1 having trailed 1-0 in second-half stoppage time in the 1999 Champions League final, but they produced arguably their best rescue act of all on Thursday.
Having been cruising into the semi-finals at 2-0 up, United capitulated and were 4-2 down at a shell-shocked Old Trafford with just seven minutes of extra time remaining.
After a 2-2 first-leg draw in France, their last remaining hope of silverware – and European qualification for 2025-26 – was set to be dashed.
However, a Bruno Fernandes penalty offered them hope, then Kobbie Mainoo curled home in the 120th minute and Harry Maguire – playing as a makeshift striker – nodded in a 121st-minute winner to spark chaotic celebrations.
It was the first game in major European football history to see five goals scored after the start of extra time, and only United’s second win by a 5-4 scoreline, with the other coming against Arsenal in 1958.
Asked if he had any words to sum up the game, Amorim told TNT Sports: “None whatsoever. I was watching the 1999 documentary to have some inspiration for this moment.
Same, Ruben.#MUFC || #UEL pic.twitter.com/txGYyOJQRF
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 17, 2025
“It was a great night. The team was tired and you could feel it in the game, at 4-2, even with one more player, you felt it was over. But here, it’s never over.
“Here, everything is possible. You feel the environment, then after the penalty from Bruno, you felt we could change the game.”
Maguire’s goal was the first 120th-minute winner (including stoppage time) in Europa League history and the first in any major European tie since Atletico Madrid beat Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League in March 2020.
“We put Harry Maguire up there because he’s the only guy that can score a goal with his head,” Amorim added.
“Then Kobbie Mainoo lacks some pace at the moment, but we put him there because he’s very good in short spaces. We changed things and today it worked.
“We started well but we were not consistent enough to maintain it. When the team is tired, we drop a lot.
“We have seen against Arsenal and Manchester City that we can defend well. We should do better with the first two goals of Lyon and we have a lot to improve, but the character was there.”
United will now face Athletic Bilbao in a two-legged semi-final with a spot in the showpiece match – against Tottenham or Bodo/Glimt – up for grabs.
And with several players, including Luke Shaw and Mason Mount, returning from injury, the United boss thinks things are looking up.
“It’s really important. You feel now that playing European and Premier League games is really hard,” Amorim said of his returning players.
“If you don’t have the full squad, it’s almost impossible. We brought on Mason Mount, Luke Shaw was only supposed to play 30 minutes!”
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